1srelluc
Diamond Member
Governor Glenn Youngkin | Governor.Virginia.gov
Governor Glenn Youngkin, 74th Governor of Virginia
www.governor.virginia.gov
RICHMOND, VA — Given the increasing evidence of the impact cell phone and social media usage has on education and youth mental health, Governor Glenn Youngkin today issued Executive Order 33, which directs the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) to draft guidance for public school divisions to adopt local policies and procedures establishing cell phone-free education.
The EO directs VDOE to initiate a robust public engagement effort with parents, students, teachers, local school leaders and other stakeholders to develop collaboratively policies and procedures that establish the age-appropriate restriction or elimination of cell phone use during instructional time, as well as to establish protocols allowing parents to contact their children in emergency and other important situations.
“This essential action will promote a healthier and more focused educational environment where every child is free to learn. Creating cell phone and social media-free educational environments in Virginia’s K-12 education system will benefit students, parents, and educators,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “Today’s Executive Order both establishes the clear goal to protect the health and safety of our students by limiting the amount of time they are exposed to addictive cell phones and social media and eliminates clear distractions in the classroom. It also kicks off the robust conversations among parents, students, teachers, and school and community leaders necessary to design and implement these policies and procedures at the local level.”
Implementing cell phone-free education in Virginia’s K-12 public schools is critical, especially given youth chronic health conditions, such as depression and anxiety, that are driven in part by extensive social media and cell phone use. Children spend an average of 4.8 hours a day on social media, and recent studies indicate that spending more than three hours a day on social media doubles the risk of poor mental health for adolescents. Most alarming is the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention data from 2019-2021, reporting that the rate of suicide has increased 167% since 2010 for girls and 91% since 2010 for boys. In the same timeframe, boys and girls experienced a spike in depression of 161% and 145%, respectively.
“The data is clear, and it is time for Virginians to come together to address the damage of social media and screens to healthy childhoods. Government cannot be the sole solution to this crisis; school communities – especially parents and teachers – must work together to discuss and develop common sense approaches to limit screen time, prioritize open channels of communication, and re-establish norms that reinforce healthy and vibrant learning communities,” said Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera.
Recent studies indicate that students who use their phones during class learn less, achieve lower grades, and can face a cumulative, lasting, and detrimental impact on their ability to focus and engage in their studies.
About damn time this was done statewide.....My AO starts this year.
That said good luck with all that as I suspect the pushback in many areas will be intense.
